Forests are crucial for regulating rainfall and providing biodiversity, but deforestation and degradation release carbon dioxide, driving climate change. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 announced a 1.5% increase in India’s forest and tree cover, but some experts have expressed skepticism, citing inflated data due to the inclusion of commercial bamboo plantations, coconut groves, and orchards. Critics argue that 1,488 sq km of non-notified forests have vanished between 2021 and 2023. A former principal chief conservator of Forests notes that plantations are increasing by 18,000 sq km annually, but forest and tree cover has only increased by 1,400 sq km in two years, suggesting either deforestation and plantations are partly supplementing the deficit or a significant portion of plantations are failing. The report does acknowledge declines in eco-sensitive zones, such as the Western Ghats and lower Himalayas. The impact of deforestation was recently seen in Kerala’s Wayanad region, where incessant rains brought down denuded hills, killing over 250 people.
Overlooking the forest for the individual trees
